CRICKET

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 251, 2 March 1911, Page 8

CRICKET

SOUTH AFRICA LOSES. I i GREAT STRUGGLE OX A BAD WICKET. ONLY A FEW RUNS SHORT. Received 1, 7.55 p.m. Sydney, March 1. Rain started during the night, and continued till !) o'clock. The wicket was soft at the start, and the weather dull. A strong wind, however, caused the pitch to dry rapidly, and after an hour's play the ball was bumping badly, the batsmen continually patting down lumps and throwing loose tufts of turf aside. Nourse and Faulkner were extremely careful, playing most balls straight back along the wicket. Macartney and Massie, the crack bad wicket bowlers, were unable to break through the defence, and others were similarly unsuccessful. Nourse gave his first chance, at 140— a difficult low one in the slips off Minuet t. Bardsley tried hard, but missed. At Kill a much easier chance to Collins in tli.* line slip oil Kelleway was dropped,l but tne next ball, in attempting to pull, he tipped high to Collins, who ran' behind the wicket and caught him, breaking the partnership. This had a bad effect on Faulkner, who ran to the other end while Nourse was being caught. He placed the next ball, which was from Macartney, in exactly the same way as Nourse. Ivelleway ran from fine slip, and caught it. The partnership had lasted for 212 minutes, and had yielded 318. Faulkner batted for 244 minutes, and hit 22 fours. Nourse hit sixteen fourw. The partnership was easily a record for the tour, the previous best being 242 by Nourse and Strieker in the first match at Ade/aide. Sinclair and .Snooke fell easy victims' to Kelleway, whose deliveries rose rapidly from the wicket. Both were howled at four. Pegler met a similar fate a couple of overs later, but Strieker stubbornly kept up. thu wicket. He took <)3 minutes Jn scoring 18 before being bowled by Massie. Campbell had wade three when he tipped Massie to Minnett in fine slips, and the catch was held.

Sehwarz played good cricket, driving loose ones to the boundary. Vogler, at two, gave a difficult chance to Kelleway in the slips off Massie. The catch was received, but was dropped. The score was then 430. 'Schwarz had scored 12 more in good style when Vogler was run out. The innings took 400 minutes. Details:— AUSTRALIA. First innings 430 Second innings 458 SOUTH AFRICA. First innings 408 Second Innings. Comimulh", b Macartney 1 Pearse, b Macartney !) Faulkner, c Kelleway, l> Macartney. 144 Xoursc, c Collins, b Kelleway 100 Sinclair, b Kelleway 4 Strieker, b Massie 18 Snooke, b Kelleway 4 Pegler, b Kelleway 10 Schwarz, not out.. 45 Campbell, c Minnett, b Massie 3 Vogler, run out 2 Extras 31 Total 442 liowliiijr analysis: Macartney, three wickets for 113; Minnett, none for ati; Emery, none for 53; Massie, two for 04; Kelleway, four for 120. A MATCH OF RECORDS. Received 1, 0.20 p.m. Sydney, March 1. The cricket match was one of records, the last one being the aggregate total of 1744 runs. The previous best of the tour was in the Adelaide test match, of 1040.

THE XEXT TEST TEAM. Received 1, 0.20 p.m. Sydney, February 1. The test team will be finally picked on Friday from the last test team and Macartney. ' In the junior grade match, Fire Brigade y. High School, to be played at the High School ground to-day, the Brigade will be represented by the following:—Bullot (3), Best, Billing, O'Hal-l loran, Hodge, Higgs, Gunson, Whitaker,' C. Brown and Roch. i The Ciirrington Road senior team has a bye this afternoon, and will hold a practice on the Recreation Sports Ground.